Legislative Review/Advocacy

SBWMA staff follow several legislative activities at the state and national level. Below are a few of the issues that our staff are following:

• Changes to AB939
• Venues & special events law AB2176
• California electronic waste law SB20
• Plastic bag litter reduction bill (proposed)
• National bottle bill (proposed)

Changes to AB939

In 2005, the CIWMB put forward an effort to modify AB939's measurement methodology. The focus of the proposed options is on changing the current measurement system for determining a jurisdiction's compliance with the diversion requirements of AB 939 to a simpler and more accurate system. Existing statutes state that jurisdictions must meet and maintain 50% diversion by the year 2000 and thereafter. To simplify how this is determined, the proposed options set the basis for future measurement on disposal reduction amounts, and not diversion calculations. CIWMB staff identified four alternatives for potential measurement system goals. SBWMA staff continues to follow the progress and proposed changes to AB939.

Venues & special events law AB2176

AB2176 focuses on giving local jurisdictions tools to facilitate solid waste reduction, reuse, and recycling programs at large venues and large events. Several tools are now available, including model ordinances for events and venues, online resources for assisting event and venue planners, and case studies. For more information from CIWMB, including dates to watch, see the CIWMB Waste Reduction at Venue Facilities and Large Events web site.

Electronic Waste Law (SB20-Sher)

Overview: Governor Gray Davis signed into law Senator Byron Sher's SB 20, which creates the 'Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003'. It will establish a free and convenient collection and recycling program for television sets and computers when they become obsolete. SB 20 went into effect on January 1, 2004 and collection of the advanced recycling fee began on July 1, 2004. Implementation details are under discussion.

For more information on this law by a policy group, visit the Californians Against Waste (CAW) at http://www.cawrecycles.org/. For more information on implementation of this law, visit the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Electronics/.

Plastic bag litter reduction bill (AB 586-Koretz)

This bill would have enacted the Litter and Marine Debris Reduction and Recycling Act. It required that every retail seller who sells or provides a disposable bag or cup in California pay a litter reduction fee of $0.02 per bag or cup containing less than 40% postconsumer recycled content.

Unfortunately, in February, 2004, this bill died before getting out of committee.

National bottle bill (S.1867-Jeffords)

Overview: In November, 2003, US Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) introduced the "National Beverage Container Producer Responsibility Act of 2003," would hold beverage companies responsible for developing a system to achieve an 80 percent recycling rate for their containers. A 10-cent refundable deposit would apply to an estimated 180 billion aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles used as packaging for most kinds of beverages, excluding dairy products.

The Jeffords Bill (S.1867) is also known as the National Bottle Bill.

For more information on this bill by a policy group, visit the Container Recycling Institute (CRI) at http://www.container-recycling.org/ To follow the progress of the bill, visit the Thomas Legislative Information on the Internet at http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter bill number "S.1867".

For more information about pending or proposed statewide legislation, visit Californians Against Waste at http://www.cawrecycles.org/.

Back to top